The Dark Lord and Badb's Daughter
by La Bretagne
Summary: Irish witch Cadhla ó Gallchobhair recounts her tale of how she came to love the Dark Lord Voldemort himself.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My name is Cadhla. My emerald eyes glistened in the firelight if the dark and musty room as I lied on a black silken bed, scantily clad in black underwear. I assumed a vulnerable position, knees lazily put together, an arm over my head. I had to confess that I was incredibly horny for my new husband. We had only married a week earlier. A huge snake came up to me, brushing against my skin, whispering slithers to me.

"What is it Nagini?" I asked in a bored manner. She spoke to me in the snake tongue I could understand.

_As you wait for the Dark Lord, may I?_

I stared at her for a bit, thinking about it. "No," I replied. Nagini sunk her head and slithered off. I closed my eyes and thought about my love. People didn't understand him. Except me. Even in ways Nagini didn't get. I thought about how we first met 15 years ago.

I was just a little Irish girl, Cadhla ó Gallchobhair. Slight of frame, dark red hair, and the finest emerald eyes on the emerald isle. I wandered into the forest, fetching water for my wizard family. I was the smallest, but the stoutest of heart. No terror was too great for me. Well, except possibly one. Possibly.

As I walked through the forest to the creek, there I saw it, knowing that I feared it desperately: Badb Catha. She looked down on me with red eyes and loudly cawed her battle cry. I fell to the ground, dropping my pail. Badb flew to the ground, hopping towards the bushes. My otherwise frozen figure shivered in fear. My family, my friends. Should I warn them? Has Badb already appeared to them?

The little crow turned back up at me with those terrifying scarlet eyes. Her eyes were captivating to where she had me hypnotized and following her. I crawled through the bushes behind her small bird, hopping form, the twigs of bushes lightly scratching my befreckled face. She led me to a clearing where an old woman was washing my father's clothing. Not recognizing her, I walked up to her, asking why she was washing his clothes. She paused and turned to me, the dull gray look of her face familiar to my heredity. I fell to my knees and sobbed. She returned to her washing.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I ran back to my village, but once I reached the edge o the forest, I already saw that it was too late. Black smoke and flames already engulfed my home as sparks of several spells raced and whizzed around. From the sky, black smoke came down some yards away from. I hid myself in the bushes, doing my best to stifle my sobs.

The Dark Lord himself appeared. He turned his head my direction, sneering, and I ducked my head further down, but his face told me no amount of camouflage would ever hide me from him. He walked down the hill, towards my home. I could see in the distance as dark figures with masks pulled my family out of our home. There was talking, I saw my father try to get up. A spell was put on my older sister, and her body lashed out in writhing pain, her screams plainly audible to me. The Dark Lord spoke with a Death Eater to his left, the result of which ended with a green flash and my family dead.

I huddled back, crying and losing my sense of time. I heard a voice, and my wrists were taken by two Death Eaters. I looked up into the face of my judgement. His face was dark and terrible, yet very beautiful in it's evil way. I tried to fight the masked figures' hands off of my wrists.

"YOU MONSTER!" I screamed at him. He only shook his head and clicked his tongue. Pulling out his wand, he merely said, "Crucio." My body spasmed uncontrollably as I screamed for the Morrígan to have mercy and free me from the burning and electric pain. He waved his hand and stopped it. I began catching my breath, and, feeling acid in my throat, proceeded to vomit. He then approached me and bent down onto one knee.

"Little girl," he said to me, "you're family begged for death. Don't think of me as their murderer, but their savior from the horrors of this world. Your parents sympathized with muggles and mudbloods. Did you know that?" I shook my head.

We never talked about it. Being brought up in a wizarding family and only being in my single digits, we never were among muggles much. I knew they were there, but had never given them a single thought. I only pretended to know what I mudblood was. I assumed it was a terrible creature risen from bogs. He put his hand under my chin, gently clasping my jaw and examining my head, left and right. "Such a pretty little thing. And you're still young. I can… train you…. Lucious, lock her up."

One of the Death Eaters came forward, murmuring "Expugno" as he pointed his wand at me. A red light slithered out the end and formed a coil around my form like molten metal that defied gravity. I didn't fight it. I was only happy to be alive. Somewhat.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I lay in my cage, tears streaming down my face. My mother… father… sister… my brothers… they were all gone now. I used to enjoy my solitude, but now, I knew the true meaning of loneliness. I closed my eyes and let myself be taken away by sleep. A dreamless sleep it turned out to be.

I awoke to find myself out of the cage, but in a dark room, closed off entirely from windows with one door. I crawled on my hands and knees to the far side of the small room. My stomach roared to me in hunger, and I held it to calm its fears. I smelled the mold growing from whatever direction it was- probably all of them. Laying on the ground, I judged that I was probably laying in a puddle of urine that went on forever. I closed my eyes, hoping to welcome reality after the nightmare.

The door slammed open, screeching for oil. I heard heavy footsteps coming my direction with a long sharp shadow cast against the lonely light. Whatever figure it was grabbed my arm, forcing me up. Considerable as his height was, I was relieved it wasn't as sinister as the shadow.

He pulled me up the stairs, my lethargic feet barely carrying me. The entire house was large and empty like the room. And just as lonely. The figure continued to drag me up the flights of stairs up to the top. He then opened the door into a fine room with a red velvet armchair facing a lit fireplace, the seams of which were frayed. A large snake draped itself heavily on the chair.

"So you're the little girl." The handsome figure from earlier looked at me with his sneer. "How was your rest? You were only asleep two nights and a day." He looked down at his long thin fingers, then staring closer at his fingernails, then back up at me. "Well?"

I kept my mouth shut.

"Hm. Very well." He gave a look to the masked figure. My arm was clutched tightly, and I was thrown into a room.

The sound of a click ricocheted in the way I knew this was entirely different from the dungeon I was in before.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I looked up at the chamber ceiling in a daze. A hazy redness engulfed the room, slowly becoming sharper until I could make out the vague details. The first thing I noticed was the floor. It was hard, yes, but not like the dungeon. It was smooth like wood.

Breathe in, breathe out. I closed my eyes again. Breathe in, breathe out.

I struggled to my feet, absently grabbing at some object in the room whose name I didn't know anymore. My body felt sick and weak after everything. Some clean robes were sitting on a bed I was too exhausted to analyze. On the robes was a piece of paper with familiar marks my mind wouldn't decipher at the moment.

Eyes closed, breathe in, breathe out.

I went back onto my knees and huddled into a corner. In the fetal position, I fell asleep, doing my best to remember what it was like in that form.

I awoke again. bleary eyed but fully conscious. This new room looked nice, like it once welcomed wondrous guests with glorious amounts of power. But now that time for the area's era was long past, with frayed cloth, a musty smell that resembled the dust of those long decayed bones of the guests, and a touch of mold somewhere.

It was a green room with dark wood paneling and a creaky matching floor that cried with every step. A four poster bed with old dusty green velvet hangings sat at the far side. On it was the new robes set aside with a note on top:

"There's an area in which to bathe through the door behind you. Here are some new robes. Look presentable to the Dark Lord for dinner tonight."

i looked down on my old clothes from my home. Smelled, stained, and full of piss and shit. But they were home. My family flashed briefly into my mind. Closing my eyes tightly, I attempted to squeeze them into my subconscious. I wiped a couple loose tears off, picked up the clean robes and headed into the bathroom to tidy myself up.

I wasn't entirely sure when dinner was or if it had passed, but I might as well "look presentable to the Dark Lord."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The dish of roasted pig and warm rolls was quite delightful to see and smell. The flames in the fireplace sparked and popped while lighting the dim room with that shimmer that fire gives. Before me was a long table, like in those in the moving picture books my mother would read to me, with myself on one end and that dark yet beautiful figure on the other.

He took up his goblet full of wine with a flick of his wrist, then took a sip. Tilting his head back slightly, his hair slipping out of his eyes, he gave me a smirk, holding that look for several seconds.

I did nothing but stare down at my food intently.

Voldemort grimaced slightly, returning the goblet to where it was.

I looked up at him with a blank stare on face. A bit of dry, cracked grime remained on the corner of my mouth. Eventually, I found a way to force my gaze to lock onto his eyes.

I stared at them and into them, and finally into him, as far as he'd let me go into that cold and desolate place. There was a fire in him, but it was a flame that gave off no light or heat. A sad and angry fire.

I broke my gaze and pushed my food away.

"I'm not hungry." And I stood from my seat and walked towards the door. The wizard from before, standing in a dark corner, made a move to retrieve me. Voldemort raised his hand and shook his head slightly.

I sank into my bed, my stomach growling from my foolish decision. Languidly making my way under the covers, I heard a knock on my door. I turned away, trying to pretend to sleep. The handle clicked and the door creaked open.

"You know, I don't normally bother with things like doors, but for you, I'll make an exception." The voice from behind me was dark, but beautiful and authoritative. "I know you're awake, Cadhlaó Gallchobhair." I brought the covers closer over me.

"How do you know my name now?" I brought my head in closer to me, also drawing in my legs.

"You're such a fool, Cadhla." The voice came in front me. "But a pretty little fool…." I could smell the food he brought from my dinner plate.

I sat up to see the Dark Lord. A chair came up behind him, and he sat down, laying my tray of food before me on my bed. I grabbed the fork, digging into the food. The tasteless potatoes were such a pleasure t feel in my mouth, followed by the sweet rolls, and continuing to an exotic meat I had never tried before in a familiar sauce to bring me back to the world.

"And to answer your question, your dear mummy is the one who screamed your name as I tortured her."

I barely heard his answer as I broke into the spiced vegetables. He stood up, the chair going back to its place. In silence, he walked towards the door and opened it, the door creaking again. Through the door and closing it, he stopped suddenly.

"Oh, and I hope her flesh tasted as good to you as it did to me."

Hearing his words, I continued eating.


	6. Chapter 6

- 3 weeks later -

"My Lord, what are you looking for?" Voldemort and I were standing at the edge of a cliff. Despite the horrible things he was said to have done, the Dark Lord wasn't really as bad as I expected. He fed me, clothed me, gave me somewhere to live after the death of my family. Even then, it wasn't technically him who killed him. It was a Death Eater- the filthy creatures!- who did so. I observed how they feared him so, but I knew what they thought of him truly. I could hear the whispers and murmurs that they slipped from their tongues when they thought he wasn't looking. After 3 weeks, I had a job to do: exterminate the traitors. And it was a wonderful job.

I remember receiving my assignment well. He came to my room and sat next to me on the bed.

_"_Cadhla," he had said, "would you like to take vengeance for your parents?"

"But are you not-" He put his fingers over my protesting lips.

"Shh. _I'm_ not the one who murdered them. In fact, I didn't want them killed." I leaned back slightly, jaw dropping slightly in surprise. Voldemort looked at me, his wicked eyes softening.

"Then… who was it..?"

"No need to worry- he has already been dealt with for disobeying my direct orders." His face hardened back to its usual state.

"My Lord-"

"Am I your Lord now?"

I stepped onto the floor and fell to my knees. "My Lord," I whispered softly, taking his hand in my two.

Back to the present, I looked at the mark on my wrist. It was a permanent indicator of my allegiance and my vengeance. The filth of Death Eaters was my prey. I never hurt innocents, only traitors.

Belatrix approached Voldemort, her head lowered in a cowardly way, her movements uncharacteristically cautious. "My Lord, I have good news."

Voldemort turned his head and looked down on her. "Yes, Belatrix?"

"We've disposed of the Edgar Bones and his family. We've also… ah… gotten information out of him before killing him.

"What is it?"

"If I may share that in private?" she asked, bowing low, glancing at me, and giving a cruel sneer in my direction. I merely scowled in return.

Voldemort sighed. "Very well, Bella." He turned away, she began to act sweet, and I could do nothing but glare.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Has it really been two years? Oh wow. Yeah, I;m going to finish this off in one go this summer if I can.

In the dining room that night, I sat amongst the death eaters towards the middle of the table, my lord at the end of it. He poured mead into his goblet and passed it around.

"Belatrix has given me wonderful news earlier today. Though he told noone else, Bones revealed to her that he suspects a traitor in their midst and that it's the secret keeper for the Potters' hiding place. Tonight, we celebrate."

We dug in, laughed, and carried on. Our victory was ever closer.


	8. Chapter 8

October 31, 1981

Outside, in the heavy fog, I stood at the edge of a forest, met with the deafening sound of silence until a light rustle of gentle gliding over the dewey grass crescendoed in my ears. The freezing damp humidity permeated the air, though not penetrating through my black wool cloak covering my red ruby robes.

"Cadhla," Voldemort approached, no longer with the glamour he used to use in front of me. His face was more serpentine than I remembered, with eyes in a constant bloodshot state, and skin almost white. His soul's damage from the six horcruxes was apparent, and yet, he was still so beautiful to me. He took my dainty hand into his own.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I need you to do something for me," he replied, "Any of the others may turn on me, yet somehow, I know you won't. Perhaps it's because you're young and I know you'll follow through for me."

"What is it that you require of me, Dark Lord?"

I looked at those dark and red tinted eyes of his, but I could barely hold the contact, so dark and hypnotizing. He pulled me towards himself, put his other hand in the small of my back, and leaned in to whisper, "I need a secret keeper to come and find me in case something happens to me."

I began to pull back, my eyes widenening a little, my jaw slacking ever so slightly in shock: "But nothing will happen to you. You're the Dark Lord Voldemort!"

"Shh, my pet," he held me close. "I won't die, but if I should lose this body, I need you to come and find me. Long ago, to delve deeper into the Dark Arts, I travelled to Albania. It's a safe place." I gave a small nod. He then took my arm and pointed his wand to my wrist, removing the Dark Mark, explaining, "I've already prepared the portkey. If they capture you, you were under the Imperius curse."

He pulled arm and pointed his wand against my wrist, removing the Dark Mark from my skin. "Now, Cadhla, if something happens, what is it that you're going to do?"

"Use the portkey to go to Albania and find you."

"That's a good girl, Cadhla," he said, and then brushed his lips ever so lightly on my forehead.

But I knew nothing was going to happen, that the Dark Lord, my Lord, would triumph. After all, he was only going after a defenseless baby. He would take care of his business as usual, and then come home and we'd continue through to our victory. At least, that was what I thought until I arrived home. At the threshold of the home lay a gigantic beast- a dog- with dark fur. As I approached, it peered at me through the fog with eyes that were red, no, orange, or yellow, like fire. And then the beast began to dig into me with those eyes, and I began to realize those were the flames of Hell itself. He then tilted his head back and gave a loud howl. All would not be as well as I had hoped.


	9. Chapter 9

Smoke stung my watering eyes as I crawled across the ground and under the spells, hexes, charms, curses, and everything and everyone else flying above. Merely breathing became a laborious task whilst my elbows and knees began to run a bit raw. But with a quick movement, I was suddenly snapped up, and an old man's face was suddenly two inches away from my own. He quickly inspected my wrist, now clear of its mark.

"What's a small girl like you doin' here?" He demanded, keeping his grip firm on my arms.

_If they capture you, you were under the Imperius curse._

His words run though my head, but the words pile up in the back of my mouth, and a cold sweat began to break out on me. "Th-the Im-imperius curse," I barely stumble out. He gives me an unexpected strange look. This is what I was told to say, so it couldn't be wrong.

The old man's look softened. "Yer only a kid," he remarked as he motioned for me to follow him out of the chaotic foray. Seizing my opportunity, I bolted off into the woods, weaving my way around the large thickets to lose my enemies. Upon arriving close to the portkey, a small stone with a peculiar marking made from a black substance, I swept my surroundings, and then latched onto it. I held onto the stone for dear life despite being so violently snatched through the gut. After the minute that felt like a bizarre eternity to arrive, I was finally let go.

Like my previous surrounds, it too was a forested area, heavy with its own thickets. But the air was different, clear from any smoke or other debris, but full of the fragrances of black pines and beech trees. The darkness obliterated any visual suggestion of my surroundings, the trees eclipsing any idea of the sliver of the waxing moon. Too young to have my own wand, I clumsily and aimlessly wandered around, my mind mimicking my path. Was there a mistake? Where was I to find my master? Am I lost? Will I die here tonight?

Finding a tree to lie against, its bark itching to tear away the delicate fabric of my robes, I fell to the ground and leaned my head back to look into the dark. I closed my eyes, though it made little difference, and fought back the tears with all my might, an unseen grimace forming on my face and pitiful situation. Maybe I was supposed to wait? Despite the fidelius charm being placed on the portkey and me being the only secret keeper, perhaps if someone was following me, that could maybe qualify as me telling them, if I unintentionally show them. That could lead to a dangerous situation, which is why my Lord hasn't shown himself yet? Or maybe it could be a test of my faith in him? Maybe I just needed to show him that I was the most loyal and diligent of his servants. The only one that could be here for him out of pure-

A rustle in some brush snatched me from my thoughts. A pulled out my knife and pointed it towards the sound.

_Cadhla!_

The telepathic connection shivered down my spine and through my nerves like a electric shock lapping at a shore line.

_My Lord!_

I groped around ground before me, forcing acuity into my hearing for his slithering in a stolen serpentine form. A cool slide against my hand responded with its own electricity back to my brain. The serpent slithered silently up my arm underneath my robe, towards my neck where he wrapped himself around, his tongue flicking out to my ear, it's silent whispering against it causing my nerves to shimmer around my neck, and my hairs to stand on end.

_Rest, Cadhla. You have done well._

I lay down on the ground, the fallen leaves and pine needle surprisingly softer now that I knew all was well. But as tired as I was, I couldn't sleep. Not with the way I could feel my blood flowing, my nerves tingling. "My Lord," I thought to myself, "I think I may... love you..."

_I know._


End file.
